Michael Oher update: Blind Side family says Oher demanded $15 million in "shakedown" before court filing

Former Ole Miss and NFL offensive lineman Michael Oher is suing Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, alleging that they never actually adopted him, but tricked him into signing a document that would make them his conservators, and that they took all the proceeds from the film "The Blind Side," based on his life. Now, the family is going public with their own accusations.

Marty Singer, the Tuohy family's attorney, says that Oher made "outlandish" and "absurd" claims about them in court and requested a check for $15 million before filing his petition, according to TMZ Sports.

In addition, the family claims that Oher threatened to "plant a negative story about them in the press" if they refused to meet his demands.

Michael Oher's allegations

Oher alleges that the Tuohy family never actually adopted him, the apparent basis of his life story that was turned into a book and major motion picture, and that they instead used his football fame for their personal financial gain.

The family responded to those accusations by saying the conservatorship in question was to help Oher's college recruitment, get him health insurance, and aid him in obtaining a driver's license.

The petition filed by Oher asked the court to terminate the Tuohys' conservatorship and stop them from using his name and likeness, and to account all the money they made using his name and pay a fair portion of the money they earned. It also asks that the family pay for losses and damages.

Tuohys respond

"We didn't make any money off the movie," Sean Tuohy told the Daily Memphian. "Well, Michael Lewis [who wrote the Blind Side book] gave us half of his share. Everybody in the family got an equal share, including Michael. It was about $14,000 each."

Singer added, via TMZ: "Over the years, the Tuohys have given Mr. Oher an equal cut of every penny received from 'The Blind Side'. Even recently, when Mr. Oher started to threaten them about what he would do unless they paid him an eight-figure windfall, and, as part of that shakedown effort refused to cash the small profit checks from the Tuohys, they still deposited Mr. Oher's equal share into a trust account they set up for his son."

"Unbeknownst to the public, Mr. Oher has actually attempted to run this play several times before, but it seems that numerous other lawyers stopped representing him once they saw the evidence and learned the truth," Singer, the Tuohy family's lawyer, said. "Sadly, Mr. Oher has finally found a willing enabler and filed this ludicrous lawsuit as a cynical attempt to drum up attention in the middle of his latest book tour."

Singer noted that the Tuohy family still hopes to patch things up with Oher at some point.

(TMZ)

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